Time, The Ultimate Test Of Love
by Dee31
Summary: OneShot: Gabriella and Troy were engaged for barely an hour when their deep love for one another is tested. Will true love prevail through time and more?


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places created by the High School Musical franchise or by Disney!

Troy Bolton gazed lovingly into his girlfriend's teddy bear brown eyes, rubbing his thumb across her cheek as she leaned her head into his hold. He had been going out with Gabriella Montez since the middle of junior year in high school and they were about to graduate from Washington State University in exactly one week. They had become inseparable as the years passed, especially when they decided to go to the same college together, which was at least a few hundred miles away from the closest of their friends from East High. The old gang still saw each other when everyone was home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but it wasn't the same as seeing one another every day at school, being the relief each other needed to get through the day of sitting through classes.

Gabriella raised herself onto her toes as she wrapped her hands around Troy's neck and leaned up to deeply kiss him, smiling as he opened his mouth to deepen it further. They were standing together in a clearing on top of a hill in a woodsy area off an unpaved road somewhere outside of Pullman. Gabriella believed they were there to get away from the hubbub of civilization only a few miles away outside of this wooded area but Troy had something else in mind.

Troy slowly lowered their bodies back down onto the blanket he had spread out when they first got there as they continued to kiss, letting their hands explore each other's familiar curves. They continued to kiss, alternating between each other's lips, cheeks, and neck, both just enjoying the sensations of being so close together.

When air became an issue, and only then, Gabriella and Troy pulled away from their hot kisses and just cuddled together, never breaking the embrace they had around each other. "Gabriella, what are you thinking?" asked Troy, running his index finger over her lips as she gently smiled back at him.

"I'm thinking that I am so hopelessly in love with an amazing guy who I will never forget, even when I'm old and gray and can't remember what I did an hour ago. You mean that much to me that you will forever be ingrained in my heart and soul, never fading through time no matter what," answered Gabriella, meaning every word that came out of her mouth. "What are you thinking Troy?"

Troy couldn't help but grin at that perfect set up for what he was about to do. After taking a deep breath, Troy took his hand that was cupping the side of Gabriella's face away, ignoring the pang of longing he felt when he lost touch with her, and reached into his pocket, fishing for what he was looking for. As soon as he found it, Troy gingerly fingered it before looking back at Gabriella, admiring her beauty and the sweet expression she had on her face which he could see clearly thanks to the natural light the moon cast down on them between the clouds that were blocking most of the stars in the sky above them at the moment.

"Well, funny you should ask me that because it's the same thought I've had several times over the past almost five and a half years we have been together but never felt I could act on until now," replied Troy, smiling more as he saw Gabriella's confused look.

He watched as she bit the corner of her lip, a familiar signal to him that she was worrying about what he had to say. "You aren't breaking up with me are you?" questioned Gabriella. "Please tell me it isn't that."

Troy just shook his head, chuckling a little. "Do you really think that little of me to take you all the way here to a romantic setting to break up with you? No Gabriella, what I have been thinking and what I wanted to do by bringing you here is to ask you a very important question. We've been together for so long yet every day with you seems like a brand new day with such promise. There are things that I keep learning about you that surprise and delight me that make me love you even that much more as each passing day goes by. You've stuck with me through the emotional move from New Mexico to Washington, through the stress of juggling basketball and studies, and through everything else in between. You were there for me when some of my best friends from childhood were unable to be. Gabriella, what I am trying to say is that I love you, with all that I have, and I would very much love it if you would be my wife. Gabriella Montez, will you be the future Mrs. Troy Bolton? Will you marry me?"

Gabriella blinked back happy tears as she watched Troy pull something out of his pocket and hold it between their bodies in the light from the moon so she could see the solitary princess cut diamond on the gold band. After admiring its beauty for a few moments, Gabriella turned her gaze back to Troy and nodded. "Yes! Troy Bolton, I would more than love to be your wife!"

Troy grinned back at her as he gently slipped the engagement ring onto her left hand's ring finger before he leaned down his head and kissed it, warmed to the core by the love he felt that was shared between the two. He frowned a little as darkness seemed to swallow them up, breaking his gaze with Gabriella to look up in the sky to see that the moon had vanished behind a solid wall of clouds now. Before he could say or think anything further, Gabriella pulled Troy back down to her as she kissed him with all the loving emotions she felt at the moment, promptly making Troy forget all about the weather and that ominous feeling he got in the pit of his stomach as he returned her passion filled embrace.

After some more time had passed, Troy and Gabriella laid back into each other's arms, just savoring the night and this special moment in their lives. Suddenly, they felt a single rain drop pelt each of them from the cloudy sky before the clouds opened up and let heavy rain begin to fall on their two bodies while they distantly heard a loud crack in the sky, indicating a thunder storm was quickly approaching. Both jumped up hastily, Troy grabbing the blanket, as they dashed back to his truck that was luckily parked not far away. He unlocked the passenger side door first and helped Gabriella in before running over to the driver's side and getting in, starting the car and letting it rev for a few moments as he looked over to his new fiancé who was soaked but couldn't have looked more beautiful at the moment as she grinned back at him, giggling at nature's way of telling them to break things up while in its home.

Unable to resist, Troy leaned over and softly kissed Gabriella, pulling away only to stare into her brown eyes with his blue ones. "I really do love you Gabriella, with all my heart."

"I love you too Troy," responded Gabriella, slipping her left hand into his right and squeezing it, both looking down at their joined hands, one of which now had a new symbol of their love there.

Eventually, Troy used his left hand to put the truck into gear and started the slow drive down the hill on the unpaved dirt trail, never letting go of Gabriella's hand. As the rain started falling down in sheets when they were midway down the hill though, Troy was forced to break that hold on her hand so he could focus on keeping an eye on the path down between the windshield wipers that were working overtime to try to keep the water off the windshield. He glanced over quickly and saw with a smile that Gabriella wasn't looking outside where nature was currently doing its best to drench everything in its reach but down at the ring that was resting on her finger. 'She really is lovely and I am so relieved she enjoys that ring. I'll be paying Dad back for the next year for that,' he thought. 'But it was so worth it!'

Troy turned his concentration back on the road as a sharp curve came up but to his horror, saw a deer right in front of the truck as they rounded the corner. "CRAP!" exclaimed Troy in a loud voice, startling Gabriella to look up at the deer caught in the truck's headlights before she hit the side of the truck's cab when Troy swerved to miss the animal who hadn't moved. Knowing there was a steep drop-off somewhere close by, Troy fought valiantly with the steering wheel to try to get the truck back on the road while trying to slow their momentum down with the brakes but was unable to as the truck continued to slide down the hill, towards the feared drop-off. Not knowing how much more time or distance there was, yet thankful for the slower pace at which the truck was now moving, Troy did the only thing he could think of to save her. Troy quickly unfastened his seat belt and then Gabriella's, ignoring her questioning look she gave him as he reached across her, keeping his two feet on the brake pedal, and opened her door with all his might.

Gabriella watched, fear choking her as she took in everything that was happening and then felt herself get pelted with rain again through the open door. "Troy?" she asked, nervous as to what he was about to do.

Troy took one last look at her, the woman who would hold his heart forever and beyond, and quickly shoved Gabriella out of the car, hearing her scream distantly before the truck hit a tree, which then spun the truck around before he felt the fall over the cliff he knew was there. 'I love you Gabriella, please be safe,' thought Troy as he gripped onto the steering wheel tightly, praying for the best but knowing he would most likely die when he and the truck hit the ground again. In a matter of seconds, the truck made impact with the dirt ground right below the cliff but not on its wheels; it had flipped over in the process of the slide and fall and was resting upside down, Troy's body now between the crushed in cab's roof and the floor.

Once Gabriella had stopped her body from tumbling down by grabbing onto a tree trunk, she quickly turned her attention back to the truck that continued to slide down, praying that she would see Troy emerge from the truck himself even though she couldn't really see anything in the darkness except the bright headlights of the truck. She felt herself let out a loud, heartbreaking scream as she watched in horror as the truck hit a tree before it spun around and then fell out off over the side of the cliff. "TROY! NO!"

Gabriella quickly looked around, a tough thing to do through the rain which had at least somewhat let up from the initial onslaught of rain and saw a less steep way down to where she knew the truck was now resting. 'Thank God some of the moon's light is showing down now through patches of the clouds,' thought Gabriella as she started to slip and slide her way down, not caring that she got additional cuts and bruises on her way. Once she finally made it to flatter ground Gabriella froze as she sees the truck on its roof with the wheels spinning in the air. "Oh my God, Troy!"

She ran all the way over to the truck, trying her best to ignore the sickening feeling she felt in her stomach as she took in the shattered glass all around the crunched in cab. Gabriella dropped down next to the driver's side door, ignoring her tears, as she searched desperately for a sight of her boyfri… of her newly made fiancé. Gabriella remembered her cell phone in her pocket and quickly pulled it out, opening it to shed some light in the cab and revealing Troy's body that was now somehow dangling down, his head touching the ground with his neck at a sickening angle. She bit her lip as she pressed a button on her phone to make it glow again as she shoved her arm in a little further, towards the floor of the truck to see that Troy's lower half was pinned between what used to be the truck's steering wheel and dashboard and the floor, which was now the ceiling. Gabriella, afraid but determined, pushed the button again to bring it closer to Troy's face where she saw her worst fears confirmed. Troy's face was already pale and was covered in blood from multiple wounds. "TROY!" screamed Gabriella, hoping against all odds that he would open his eyes and look at her with those gorgeous baby blues of his. "COME ON TROY, DON'T LEAVE ME. OPEN YOUR EYES, TROY!"

Miraculously, Troy did just that, fluttering his eyes open and squinting against the light of the phone, which Gabriella then pulled away from his face just enough so she could still see him. "Baby, you're still alive!" exclaimed Gabriella, relieved to see the love of her life looking back at her.

Troy, full of pain but relieved to see Gabriella essentially unharmed with the exception of some cuts on her face that he could see, opened his mouth to say something but ended up coughing, pain shooting through his body again as he felt warm liquid bubble up and out his mouth, knowing that was not a good sign, not a good sign at all. "Gabriella," he got out hoarsely before coughing more blood up again.

"Shh, don't talk Troy. Just stay with me, I'm going to call for help right now," said Gabriella before she turned her attention to her cell phone. She successfully dialed 911 after a few moments of being unable to pick up signal and told them their location before dropping back down so she was lying on the ground next to Troy, unwilling to let him out of her sight any longer. "Stay strong Troy, help is on the way. We're going to get you out of this all right?"

Troy moved his left arm that was lying next to his head towards Gabriella and she happily laced their fingers together as she held his hand with her own left hand. She scooted as close as she could to the crunched in cab and reached in with her right arm to gently caress Troy's face, careful to avoid any wounds he had. Even without being able to see clearly, Gabriella knew that Troy was in serious trouble as she felt warm liquid move through her fingers of her right hand and felt his body continue to struggle to keep on breathing. She leaned her head down on her right arm, never looking away from this man who was the one constant in her life that she knew she could always trust, no matter what. "Come on Troy, stay with me babe. I can't lose you now, we're supposed to get married and have this amazing family together. Don't leave me now, please!" begged Gabriella, knowing it was selfish but needing to say it just the same.

He felt his heart break in addition to all the physical pain he was really experiencing at the time as Gabriella's words registered in his brain. "I'm…so…sorry," got out Troy before he coughed again, feeling even more blood come out this time. As darkness started pulling him in deeper Troy fought as much as he could to keep his gaze locked with Gabriella's until her face was the only thing he could clearly see.

Sensing Troy slipping away more, Gabriella squeezed the hand in her grasp and used her right hand to help scoot her closer to Troy's face, slightly comforted by the fact that his eyes were following her movement and never left her face. Instinct told her she didn't have much time left so she gently kissed Troy's cheek and then his lips in an upside down kiss, grateful that he was able to softly return it before she pulled back, wiping away the tears that were coming faster now. Gabriella pulled back far enough so she could look into his eyes again and saw the life slowly fade in that fleeting moment. "I love you Troy, with all my heart, always and forever," she declared, knowing she meant every single word.

Troy smiled a little at hearing this and managed to return the sentiment by saying, "I love…Gabriella. Be…happy." Relieved he was at least able to say that before another series of coughs happened, Troy squeezed her hand one last time before he felt his last grip on life slip away.

"No, Troy, please," pleaded Gabriella as she saw him slowly close his eyes. "GOD, NO!"

Gabriella helplessly watched as Troy's body shut down, starting from his closed eyes to his chest slowing down its rise and fall before it stopped completely, lastly being the grip he had had on her hand, which slacked as Troy's life came to an end. Huge sobs tore through Gabriella's body as she realized that Troy Bolton, the man who had captivated not only her heart but her soul too was now gone from this realm, unable to ever give her a reassuring squeeze when she needed it, unable to communicate all his love to her with just one look with his blue eyes, unable to just hold her when the world became too crazy for the both of them. 'No, nothing will ever be the same again,' she thought as she laid her head back down on her arm again and continued to cry.

Some time later, Gabriella saw lights that grew in size as they approached, finally revealing that it was an ambulance with a fire truck right behind it as it came to a complete stop in front and behind Gabriella. Two paramedics jumped out and ran over to Gabriella.

"Miss, are you all right?" asked the woman, instantly putting her fingers to the pulse in Gabriella's neck.

"I am," croaked out Gabriella. 'Physically maybe but emotionally, I'm such a mess,' thought Gabriella sadly. 'God, what am I going to do without him?'

"Miss, is there someone inside?" asked the male paramedic as he saw the girl lying on the ground was holding the hand of someone inside. Seeing her faint nod, he spoke again. "Okay, I need you to move out of the way okay? We're going to have to get this other person out so I need you out of the way. Amy is going to take you over to the ambulance and examine you in the mean time. Can you go with her?"

Without saying anything, Gabriella looked one last time at Troy's lifeless form before she let herself be taken away. 'Good-bye Troy, I love you,' thought a heartbroken Gabriella, still crying as she was carried over to the ambulance's open doors and sat down by a fireman before he returned to the truck. Gabriella continued to gaze at the truck and the crowd that was now working on getting Troy's body out of the truck, wondering distantly if they knew that the love of her life was now gone.

Gabriella thought back to the memory of their shared moments just an hour or two before and wondered distantly how things could have gone so badly after such a wonderful moment. Troy had finally proposed and they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. 'How cruel is God and fate to make our future lives together only an hour or so longer,' thought Gabriella bitterly as she felt even more tears travel down her face.

"I'm sorry miss, I know the alcohol stings on the cuts," apologized Amy, seeing the tears freely flow down the brunette's face.

Gabriella shook her head. "It's not that, I can't even feel that through the real pain," admitted Gabriella, not even looking at the paramedic. "I've just lost my one true love and nothing you could do to me now could make me suffer any more than I am now."

Amy shot the girl a worried look, not knowing if she should try to divert the girl's attention from the scene at the truck or let her look to distract her while she continued to clean her up and examine her. 'Well, she's calm and not hysterical despite the tears, maybe it's best to leave her,' concluded Amy as she finished with the cuts on the girl's face and then proceeded to check for broken bones.

By the time the rescue team was able to extract Troy's body from the wreck, Amy had cleaned all of Gabriella's cuts and found that the girl didn't have anything more serious wrong with her. 'Except an obvious broken heart,' thought Amy as she saw the girl, who she had learned was named Gabriella, let out a cry as the body of her beloved was laid onto a stretcher. Amy knew, even from where she stood, that the measures her partner were taking were routine but wouldn't be enough to bring this man back to life, not by the color of his face or the fact that he was completely covered in the blood he lost. She gently pulled the body of the young woman next to her closer to her body as she soothingly whispered words of comfort as Gabriella's body continued to convulse as sobs continued to come in more and more frequency.

Gabriella watched as the rescue team continued to try to revive Troy but eventually stopped as they realized that Troy Bolton was no more. Her tears continued their path down her face, making her feel that they were unstoppable at this point. There was no end to Gabriella's sorrow. A blanket was placed over Troy, from the top of his head to about his knees, before he was wheeled closer to where Gabriella was sitting on the edge of the ambulance. She felt her body tremble more as his body got closer, knowing for sure that everything was over, her fairy tale ending with her soul mate was erased from her future to be replaced with a nightmare that would never end. Amy helped Gabriella stand up and move aside as the stretcher was placed inside, the doors closing before the male paramedic looked over at her with a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry young lady but he's gone," confirmed the paramedic, hammering in that last nail of reality into Gabriella's being. "Is there anyone we should call?"

Gabriella barely nodded her head as she heard him ask his question but didn't look at him as her gaze was transfixed on the closed ambulance doors. Absentmindedly, she pulled out her cell phone and surrendered it to him. "Bolton Home for his parents, Montez Home for my mom," stated Gabriella with a hollow voice, barely feeling the supportive squeeze she got from Amy, who was worriedly watching tears continue to drip down the girl's face.

What worried Amy the most as she watched the young woman being taken away to the police station for questioning was the absence of life in her eyes and the feeling she got from Gabriella that she no longer wanted to live, that she wanted to be lying lifelessly next to her significant other, no matter the cost. 'If she really has given up the will and desire to live, she'll join him sooner than anyone else thinks,' she thought before her partner called her back to the ambulance so they could take the body to the place the police designated so they could perform an autopsy.

After sitting in the police station for a while, everything became a complete blur to Gabriella, who only responded when directly talked to, never looking at anyone with any real hint of life except for the deep sorrow that now resided in her bones. She automatically answered questions without really thinking about them, feeling the words just spill out on their own as she painted the picture for the authorities of what happened earlier that night. Her own voice was so foreign to her, completely devoid of emotions at this point, no more tears to cry.

It wasn't until she was dropped off at the apartment she and Troy shared a little ways off campus that the tears came back, drowning Gabriella and her deep sense of loss as they continued to flow, no one coming to save her as her hero was forever gone from her life.

_**14 years later…**_

Gabriella stared at her reflection in the mirror, amazed that the day had finally come. She eyed the engagement ring on her hand, the red ruby surrounded by colorless diamonds, set on a gold band. 'It still doesn't look right there, not as perfect as his,' she thought to herself, looking now at the ring Troy gave to her the night that he died, the night that he saved her life, the night that was supposed to be the first night of the rest of their lives together. 'God, how can I go through with today? Fulfilling our dream of getting married when I'm here with the wrong groom?'

A few minutes earlier, Taylor McKessie, Gabriella's best friend from high school and her maid of honor, saw the fear and hesitation that started to swallow her best friend whole. It had taken years for Gabriella to be the same and still now, fourteen years later, Gabriella was only a shell of who she used to be when Troy was alive. Afraid for her best friend, Taylor quietly left the room and got Ryan Evans, the man who was able to comfort Gabriella the most, knowing Gabriella needed something more than Taylor knew she could give.

Gabriella heard a soft knock on the door before she turned around, smiling a little as Ryan sheepishly peeked his head around the door. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.

"Sure," responded Gabriella, turning and meeting Ryan in the middle of the room, grateful that he silently embraced her. "I guess Taylor sent you in huh?"

Ryan chuckled. "Something like that. You know, we really don't have to get married today. I understand how hard this must be for you."

Gabriella let out a frustrated sigh. "That's the thing, no one seems to really understand exactly how hard this is for me. I promised myself to someone fourteen years ago and the thirty-six year old me cannot seem to forget that promise made to another man. I'm so sorry Ryan but I can't do this to you. You deserve to have someone who loves you with her whole heart, who can take care of you and not make you take care of her. I love you Ryan, but I'm just afraid the type of love I'm offering isn't nearly as good as you deserve," confessed Gabriella, too chicken to look Ryan in the eye.

She stayed wrapped in his arms for a few minutes, surprised he hadn't said anything. After another moment, Gabriella began to pull away as she started to feel that something was now a little different about his hold on her. When she finally managed to look into his eyes, Gabriella blinked several times, trying to clear the image out of her mind but it stayed despite her efforts. "Troy?" she whispered, not believing what she was seeing. Gabriella was still being held in Ryan's arms but those eyes of his were gone, replaced with familiar blue ones that used to twinkle with love and laughter combined all those years ago. "Oh my God, I'm going crazy!"

That's when she heard it, Troy's distinctive chuckle that she would recognize anywhere. "No, you aren't Gabriella," said that familiar voice.

Gabriella searched Ryan's face, knowing that it was no longer her current fiancé and best friend she was looking at but the essence of someone from long ago who never quite left her side. "Troy? How?"

"I've been with you every day, for over fourteen years, watching over you to make sure you were as happy as you could be but to also make sure you didn't do anything stupid. Remember the night of my funeral? When you were taking a bath and wondered if anyone would miss you if you just slipped your head under the water and drowned? I was there for that, I was the force that pulled you out," said Troy, gazing at his beloved's shocked face.

"But how?" pushed Gabriella.

"There are ways. Don't you remember anything from that night?"

"Yes, how I did go under the water but right when I thought I would completely drown a warm feeling entered my body, giving me the silent will to live again," murmured Gabriella. "I never told anyone about that night."

"Isn't that enough proof that this really is me then? That I've been here, caring for you all this time?"

Gabriella stared back up at him and was surprised this time to find it was Troy's face she saw, the same face he had when he was twenty-two years old. "You really have been with me, each step of the way haven't you?"

Troy nodded his head. "And I will be waiting for you when your time comes to join me so we can spend all eternity together, but you need to promise me something first."

"What?" asked Gabriella, hesitant because she was clueless as to what he was about to ask of her.

"Marry Ryan and be happy," responded Troy, simply but sincerely. "You deserve to be happy Gabriella, just as Ryan does for caring and loving you when I couldn't physically be there for you. He's a good man and I know he can make you happy if you let him."

Gabriella forcefully shook her head, denying this. "No! I was only meant to be with you, only meant to marry you, only to love you."

"No Gabriella, you were meant to be happy and healthy and live a full life. You can't continue to prevent yourself from being happy in fear of disrespecting our love and our bond. We'll always be together in spirit and I'll always be here for you but I can't be if you are going to let yourself waste life away. If anything at all, you should know that life is fleeting and fragile. I saved you that night so that you could live Gabriella, not die with me," stated Troy, startling Gabriella with those last few words.

"But how could you want me to spend my life with another man?" demanded Gabriella. "How can you ask this of me?"

"Because you love Ryan. Maybe it isn't the type of love we shared but you love and care for him. He makes you happy when you let him. Please Gabriella, do this for me. Marry Ryan today and have a happy family with him. Make your dreams come true and I will know that I didn't die in that accident in vain."

"But what about you?" questioned Gabriella, letting her tears flow as she was unable to keep them back any longer. "How is this fair to you?"

Troy let out a sigh. "I get to see you happy Gabriella. I get to watch you live your life with desire to live it out to the fullest, not half heartedly as you have done. I know you accepted Ryan's proposal because you care for him and it's all right to love him. I will always love you Gabriella, no matter what. Just remember that by living, you keep me alive through you. Be happy Gabriella, that's all I ask."

Gabriella leaned her cheek into the hand that was cupping the side of her face as his thumb brushed away more tears. "I love you Troy," got out Gabriella, lovingly staring into Troy's blue ones before they slowly started to fade away back into Ryan's.

"I love you too Gabriella, forever," responded Troy's voice before the two met in the sweetest and softest kiss. By the time Gabriella pulled back, all she saw in Ryan's face was Ryan, the calm and caring expression he wore and the loving look he gave her with his eyes.

"Are you all right Gabriella?" asked Ryan, a bit concerned by the way she was staring at him with a few tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.

After a few moments, Gabriella determinedly nodded her head. "Yes Ryan, this time I really am," replied Gabriella.

"I can go tell the guests outside that we've called off the wedding if you want. It's not too late," offered Ryan, seemingly oblivious to the moment that Gabriella had just experienced with the spirit of her soul mate she had lost so long ago.

"No, let's get married Ryan. I know you love me and if you can accept what I bring to you, the type of love that I do, I couldn't imagine a better man to get married to today," said Gabriella, surprising Ryan.

"Really?" asked Ryan, a bit befuddled by the sudden change.

"Yes, really. I know you care for me and you accept me as I am, which is more than I deserve and can ask for right now," replied Gabriella. "Now, the question is do you still want to get married to me?"

"Of course, I couldn't imagine anything better," stated Ryan, leaning down and kissing Gabriella.

This time when Gabriella pulled away, she gave him a small smile, knowing in her heart that it wasn't the same with Ryan as it was with Troy. However, for the first time in a very long time, she knew that she wanted to live and spend the rest of her life on Earth with both the man standing in front of her and the man who would always live in her heart and be with her in spirit, until the day she died.

_**42 years later…**_

Ryan watched as his dear wife of forty-two years lay on the bed in the sanitized white room in the hospital where Gabriella had been admitted earlier on in the day. Ryan and Gabriella had shared a wonderful life together through the years, raising their twin boys and then their only daughter the best way they knew how. Over time, Ryan actually felt that Gabriella truly did love him the way that he had loved her all those years ago when he proposed, but he also recognized in his heart that the love they shared still didn't hold a candle to the true love Gabriella quietly sustained for Troy, despite the passage of time.

For that reason, when Gabriella flat lined just moments later, knowing that Gabriella's heart finally gave out after the massive heart attack she had earlier on, the reason why they were here, Ryan was able to smile a little as he squeezed her hand and gave her one last kiss on the lips before he wiped his tears away. "Rest in peace Gabriella. You are finally truly being welcomed home," murmured Ryan as he gently placed her hand to rest on her stomach, walking out of the room while the team of doctors and nurses tried to revive his wife knowing that Gabriella was truly in a happier place.

_Gabriella opened her eyes and rapidly blinked as sunshine almost blinded her. She curiously looked around her and recognized where she was standing as the exact same spot that she and Troy were in the night he proposed, the night of the accident. As her eyes got adjusted to the light, Gabriella noticed that her hands were no longer the hands she had developed in her seventies but the hands of her youth, well the hands of a younger Gabriella. 'Could it be? Was I returned to my younger beauty?' _

Hope filled her heart as she started scanning the trees around her, hoping and praying that he would show up in the clearing like she had always thought he would. It wasn't until she stopped spinning that Gabriella felt a pair of muscular arms, arms she hadn't felt in over fifty-six years, encircle her waist from behind, a soft chuckle near her ear warming her body.

"You came," whispered Gabriella, slowly turning around in Troy's embrace.

"I promised you I would," returned Troy, happiness and adoration clearly shining from his blue eyes. "I'm proud of you. You lived the life you were meant to live."

"And I did it all because of you and Ryan both, but mostly because of you," answered Gabriella. "You were always my strength when I needed it. I know I would not have made it without you. So this is where our story ends huh? You truly waiting for me after so much time has passed?"

Troy gently shook his head. "No. This is where our story truly begins, together, happy, and in love for all of eternity."

Gabriella giggled. "I think I can deal with that. After all, I do love you."

"Good, because I love you too," confessed Troy before he leaned down and kissed her, both jumping from the instant spark that reignited between the two of them but neither breaking the kiss. Each savored the feelings that coursed through both of them, relishing in the feeling that they fit so perfectly, both feeling as if they had never been apart. This deep connection between them is what they had both waited over half a century for and is proof that love does in fact survive the test of time and realms alike. At least for Gabriella and Troy, love was all they needed for the rest of eternity. 


End file.
